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Best Starlink for Van Life

We live and work full time out of our sprinter van, Summit, and before that we lived and worked on our boat, Pivot. In each situation we had Starlink, and in this article we are going to share the best starlink for van life. Starlink is one of those features that makes you wonder, โ€œHow did I live without it?โ€? It functions so well, that, honestly, you forget about it! However, you need to get the right Starlink and mount it correctly.

Note: We use affiliate links which provide us a little kickback each time you use one of our links and make a purchase, without any additional cost to you. We do not recommend products that we donโ€™t already love or have heard great things about, so you can trust weโ€™re only suggesting great products to you.

Different Types of Starlink

There are a few different Starlink models, and at their core, all serve high-speed internet from Space (itโ€™s pretty incredible). Let me give a quick description of each Starlink, so weโ€™re on the same page.

TypeDish CostMonthly CostRelease DatePrimary Purpose
Starlink Residential (Gen 2 โ€“ Standard Dish)$599$165Late 2021Residential
Starlink Roam – Standard (Gen 3)$599$1652023Traveling in a Van or Boat
Starlink Roam – High Performance (Gen 3)$2,500$1652023Higher performance ROAM
Starlink Mini$499$50 or $1652024Portability
We have our Starlink Gen 3 mounted on our roof rack.
On our boat, we had our Starlink Gen 2 in our dinghy off the back.

What is the Best Starlink for Van Life

From the chart above, we can tell that the Starlink Roam Standard Gen 3 is the best Starlink for van life, but let me break it down and explain why but also what you need to do to maximize your starlink in your van.

Rather then say why the Starlink Roam Standard (Gen 3) is the best, letโ€™s remove all the other options by processes of elimination.

  • The Starlink Residential Gen 2 is the older model, meaning itโ€™ll be less performant, although you may be able to find a good used deal on Facebook Marketplace or the like. The big drawback of this model is that it needs to rotate (without some serious DIY surgery). Since it has to rotate, it means mounting is much more difficult and it takes more space, two big negatives for van life.
  • The Starlink Roam – High Performance (Gen 3) is simply too expensive to be considered for van life. The other drawback is that with the high performance it also takes more power, which is way more impactful rather then the speed improvements you have.
  • The Starlink Mini is not as performant as the Gen 3, and the lesser monthly cost is data-capped, which is a no-go for us. As we suggest mounting the Starlink (read below), the size difference between the Mini and the Gen 3 is a non-issue. If you are going backpacking or car camping for a weekend or short period, then this would be different!

As you can see, when we break down all the alternatives, the Starlink Roam – Standard (Gen 3) is the clear winner.

How to Configure the Best Starlink for Van Life

You could easily take your Starlink out of the box, plug it into an AC outlet, run the cord out your window, place your Starlink in the dirt, and call it a day! But doing that every day and being unable to use it while moving or in urban areas isnโ€™t a great long-term solution. Introducing the Speedmount 12V conversionโ€”the ultimate way to set up your Starlink for van life!

With Starlink, we have high speed internet anywhere we travel.

The Best Starlink Mount for Van Life

The first, most obvious, part of the Speedmount is the mount portion. A high-quality mount is crucial because a) we donโ€™t want to be setting up and tearing down our Starlink every day, multiple times a day, and b) weโ€™ll be driving upwards of 70mph, so we do not want our expensive Starlink careening off on the highway.

The Speedmount has two major features, primarily it is precisely machined housing for the Starlink. Ours fit extremely snug and it didnโ€™t add much to the foot print. Since it makes the curves into edges, it removes any lift the base Starlink might have had, giving it more staying power.

The second major feature is how the Speedmount attaches to your roof, and while there are a few different options, we recommend the magnetic attachment. Yes, you heard that right -magnets. With the metal half attaching via 3M VHB tape, the four-leg magnets securely affix your Starlink to your roof. The best thing about this attachment method is that you can lift and move your Starlink if you park under a tree for example. Itโ€™s a game-changer!

The Best Starlink Kit for Van Life

The second reason we recommend the Trio Flatmount kit is that it comes with a 12V DC conversion kit with built-in Wifi. Essentially, you can get rid of the bulky router that comes with your Starlink and run it all day long since now it runs at 12V instead of using your Inverter off of 120V. There really isnโ€™t a better system available. You have high-speed internet wherever you drive, and you donโ€™t have to worry about it eating into your battery system or trying to find a good place for that bulky router.

Watch our YouTube video on our Starlink Set-Up

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A post shared by Elliot Schoenfeld & Jennifer Johnson | Adventure Travel (@schoandjo)

Check out our Starlink Review of our Gen 2 on our Boat

The 2nd generation powered our business while we were on our boat. Read that Starlink review here.

FAQ

Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and weโ€™ll populate this with them!

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Posted

March 26, 2025

in

Van Build, Van Life

by

Elliot Schoenfeld

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About Us

We’re Jen and Elliot, aka Scho & Jo, a couple of high school sweethearts who fell in love with travel and decided to live life now. From international travel to boating around America’s Great Loop to converting a Sprinter Van into a campervan and now traveling to all 50 States and US National Parks, we’re here to help you plan for your dream trip! We share detailed guides and expense reports to help turn your dream trip into a reality! Read more about us here.

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